The invention relates to a multi-part cover for a storage space of a roof in the rear of a vehicle. The cover comprises a center part and side parts which, in the closed position of the cover, are disposed adjacent the center part. The invention is particularly concerned with a common drive for the center part and the side parts which drive is controlled depending on the cover position.
It is known to deposit foldable vehicle roofs in a rear storage space of the vehicle when the vehicle roof is open, and to cover the storage space by a cover including a center part extending in a direction transverse to the vehicle longitudinal axis and by side parts disposed adjacent thereto (DE 39 39 145 A1). The side parts are associated with an area, which extends sidewardly from the center part and in which the roof side-posts and the operating linkage are disposed when the roof is closed. Accordingly the side parts must be removed from their cover position when the roof is closed while for the center part only a longitudinal displacement with respect to the closed and open positions of the roof is necessary since, with the roof open and deposited in the storage space, the roof storage space is to be fully covered. With the roof closed, the roof is removed from the rear storage compartment and the center part is moved toward the front.
This requires for the opening and closing procedure of the roof a number of adjustment movements of the roof and also of the cover and, if the cover comprises separate side parts, for the center part and for the side parts.
An arrangement is therefore provided in which the side parts are supported on the vehicle body at their, with respect to a transverse vehicle direction, inner area so as to be pivotable about a vertical axis. They are coupled with the center part so that the side parts are pivoted into a parallel plane with the center part when the center part is displaced longitudinally from its rear cover position, which it assumes when the roof is open, to a front position which it assumes when the roof is closed. On the sides of the center part and behind the center part sufficient space is provided for moving the roof into its closed position. Separate drives are provided for the roof and for the cover; only the drive mechanisms for the rel. movement of the cover parts are interconnected.
In another design (DE 197 49 552 A1) of a cover for a folding roof stored in a rear storage compartment of a vehicle the side parts are hinged to the center part so as to pivot about pivot axes which extend parallel to the side edges of the center part which extend in the travel direction of the vehicle. The center part and the side parts are hood-like tilted relative to each other adjacent the inner edges of the roof storage containment when the cover is in a position providing access to the roof storage containment. An automatic drive arrangement is provided for pivoting the side parts together with the center part with an intermediate telescopic element serving as a control element.
DE 197 12 967 A1 discloses a cover for the storage compartment of folding vehicle roofs which cover consists of a center part and side parts. It includes separate operating drives for the folding vehicle roof and the parts of the cover, that is the center part and the side parts, which are interconnected by way of a joint having a pivot axis extending normal to the center part such that the side part can be pivoted inwardly under the center part.
DE 298 04 385 U1 and the corresponding DE 198 10 616 A1 disclose a multi-part cover including a center part, which is pivotable about a momentary axis, that extends in a transverse vehicle direction, and side parts, which are pivotable each about a longitudinal vehicle axis out of their positions at the sides of the center part downwardly into a vertical position. The pivot axes of the side parts are pivotable into an upward position about a transverse axis which is stationary with respect to the center part. With such an arrangement, a roof storage compartment cover is to be obtained which is small and can be easily manufactured and installed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,799,729 and EP 0 302 963 B1 discloses a multi-part cover for the storage space of a roof wherein the center part of the cover is formed by the angled leg of a rear wall of the vehicle interior which is pivotable inwardly and wherein the side parts, which are supported on the vehicle body pivotally about a vertical axis, abut the center part sides when the cover is closed. For opening the cover, the center part is raised by pivoting the rear wall and the side parts are pivoted inwardly below the center part about hinges mounted on the rear wall.
Finally DE 297 21 430 U1 discloses a multi-part cover for the storage space of a roof in the rear of a vehicle, which includes a center part and side parts, which, in a closed position of the cover with the roof disposed in the storage compartment, are disposed at opposite sides of the center part. The side parts are connected to the roof and are pivotable about pivot axes which arranged at the roof frame parts in the area of the front support that is along axes which extend in the longitudinal vehicle direction. With the roof closed, the side prts are pivoted below the cover and, with the roof open and disposed in the storage compartment, they are disposed adjacent the center part. The side parts are coupled to the cover frame and movable together therewith. Their movement between an inwardly pivoted position below the center part when the roof is closed and their outwardly pivoted position when the roof is in the storage compartment is controlled depending on the movement of the roof.
Additional multi-part covers for the storage compartment of a roof in the rear of a vehicle are known for example from U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,599,277, 2,959,477, 2,959,447 and 2,992,042.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a multi-part cover for a vehicle roof storage compartment with an automatic operating mechanism for the roof and the cover including center part and side parts, which does not require complicated controls.
In multi-part cover for the storage space of a roof in the rear of a vehicle which cover comprises a center part and side parts pivotally connected to the center part, a common operating mechanism for operating the parts of the cover depending on the position of the roof is provided with a coupling between the roof operating linkage and the cover operating linkage whereby the roof linkage can be uncoupled from the cover operating linkage when the roof is deposited in the rear storage space for permitting longitudinal movement of the cover into an end position in which it covers the storage space and the side parts of the cover are pivoted outwardly from the center part of the cover.
The movements of roof and the cover consisting of the center part and side parts pivotally connected to the center part are controlled by a mechanical coupling mechanism by which the movement sequences are predetermined so that no additional control steps are necessary.
The drive for the longitudinal displacement of the center part from which the movement of the side parts is derived is actuated after the insertion of the roof into the roof storage compartment.
A mechanically simple design for moving the roof and the respective cover provides, in accordance with the invention for a pivot support arrangement of the center part of the cover whereby it is pivotable between a horizontal cover position and an open position in which it is pivoted by about 90xc2x0 out of the cover position and also a pivot movement providing for a longitudinal displacement of the center part while in an essentially horizontal position. This is achieved in that the center part is pivotable with regard to the roof guide structure about different pivot axes, which are displaced with respect to the plane of the center part toward the same side but differently spaced therefrom. The pivot axis, which is farther away from the center part, is stationary when the roof is deposited in the storage compartment. The center part is displaceable about the stationary pivot axis toward the rear of the stored roof.
For the connection of the joint to the center part, which forms the core piece of the cover and which also serves as a storage shelf, one joint half is mounted to the center part and the other joint half is connected, bay way of the drive parts for the side parts, to the roof. In this way, a simple drive connection is provided whereby the respective side part is pivotable relative to the center part depending on the longitudinal displacement of the center part when the roof is in the storage position.
With such an arrangement, the part of the joint, which is connected to the center part, can determine the position of the respective side part depending on the pivot angle in a simple manner. With the guide structure, the position of the side parts relative to the center part regarding their height transverse to the center part and the angular position of the plane of the center part relative to the plane of the side parts is determined. A stable large area support with a flat arrangement can be achieved by providing for the guide structure radially opposite guide slots for a guide pin of the joint which is stationary relative to the center part.
These guide structures are preferably associated with a guide cylinder which surrounds the guide pin so that the joint half, which is part of the drive connection, is pivotable by guidance of the guide pin by means of guide arms, which are disposed opposite each other and extend radially into the guide slots and are pivotable in a position-dependent manner.
The invention will become more readily apparent from the following description of an embodiment thereof on the basis of the accompanying drawings.